I Want You Mine
by Willara4ever
Summary: An AU. Tara Maclay has always been in love with Willow Rosenberg. She never knew why she couldn't move on, especially when Willow started dating Kennedy Chase. After a night of drinking her sorrows away, Tara decides to fight for Willow's love instead of letting Kennedy keep her. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Buffy characters. They belong to Joss Whedon.
1. Prologue: Return to the Past

**Prologue: Return to the Past**

Laying in the darkness of the alleyway, Tara Maclay reflected on the last year of her life. She knew that her life was coming to an end soon, she felt in as her consciousness drifted and the cries of her only love began to fade. Tara struggled to hold on, to stay with her, but she knew that she couldn't. So instead, she closed her eyes and let her memories take her away.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All those amazing characters belong to Joss Whedon. I only own any new characters. The idea for the story came from listening to Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend". **

**A/N: I know it's super short, but I wanted to start off in the future and leave you at a very curious peak. Please forgive me if I take some time writing this. I work a lot, and I rarely feel like thinking after a long day. This is a Willow and Tara story for anyone who wants to know. I would never interfere with their love. Enjoy and please review and follow. **


	2. Chapter One: Love, Lies, and Secrets

**Chapter One: Love, Lies, and Secrets**

"What is the...?" The words faded from reality as Tara Maclay made the mistake of looking into a familiar pair of green eyes across from her.

Sitting in the library studying for their test coming up, Tara glanced across the table at Willow Rosenberg, the love of her life. She had been in love with Willow since the first time she saw her, but she knew that she didn't stand a chance with the beauty before her. With hair of flames, eyes of emerald, and a smile of innocence, Willow had managed to win the hearts of many, and didn't know how easy it would be to date any girl she wanted.

At least she didn't until Kennedy Chase set her sights on Willow. Tara was never the type to become jealous, but the first time she saw Kennedy with her lips pressed to Willow's, Tara's heart had broke and she was determined to never like the brunette that had stollen her red haired goddess.

"Tara?" a soft voice whispered, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Tara lifted her blue eyes to lock with familiar green eyes. "Sorry, I was thinking," Tara explained, blushing a little as she hoped Willow wouldn't ask what she had been thinking about.

"What's been going on with you lately?" Willow asked, her voice filled with concern. "You haven't been around much, and when you are, you're so distant its like your not even here. Did I do something? Cause if I did, you could just tell me. I'm not going to angry? Unless you're too angry to tell me? Did I do something?" Willow asked, cutting off her babble as fear filled her eyes.

"No. You didn't do anything. I'm alright. I just...I have a lot to think about right now," Tara said, looking away from her friend's eyes.

Willow, feeling as though her fears were confirmed started pouting as tears filled her eyes. "I did do something. I'm so sorry, Tara. I'm so so sorry. I-".

Tara reached across the table and placed a hand over her friend's mouth to stop her second stream of babbling. "You didn't do anything. I'm sorry that you thought you did, but you didn't." Tara took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I just have a lot going on right now," Tara whispered, dropping her hand from Willow's mouth.

Willow nodded and looked at her friend. "Do you want to talk about it?" Willow asked, seeing the confusion clear on her best friend's face.

"N-no. I-it's something I-I need t-to figure out o-on m-my o-own," Tara responded standing up. "I'm g-going to-to go. I told Buffy I'd w-watch Dawn tonight," Tara said, shoving her books in her bag before walking out.

Willow watched her best friend walking off, feeling rejected as Tara quickly made her way from the room. She had noticed the stutter that only happened when Tara was nervous, and knew her friend was either hiding something from her or lying to her.

* * *

Tara closed her eyes as she stood outside the door to the Summer's home, waiting for her friend to open the door. She ran a hand through her brown hair as she tried to regain control of her thoughts before Buffy saw her. Buffy always knew when something was wrong with her, and Tara knew that Buffy was starting to suspect her feelings for Willow.

When the door opened, Tara looked up and smiled at Dawn Summers. Dawn was surprisingly tall unlike her older sister and her mother. She had brown hair and light blue eyes. Behind her stood Buffy who was almost the opposite of her little sister. Buffy with blond hair and blue eyes, stood shorter that her younger sister, making things between them strange. Buffy looked like her mother, while Dawn had gained most of her features from her father.

Dawn smiled brightly at Tara before hugging her. "Tara!" she screamed, jumping into the brunette's arms before pulling away. "What are you doing here? Are you staying the night? I thought you were leaving for England tomorrow?"

Tara smiled as she waited for Dawn to stop talking before she spoke. "Hey Dawnie," she said. "I'm here to spend some time with you. I won't be staying the night because I have an early flight out tomorrow," Tara said, answering all the questions at once. "Hey Buffy," Tara said, looking over Dawn's shoulder at the older Summer's sister.

"Hey Tara. Thanks for coming over." Buffy moved out of the doorway so Dawn could make room for Tara to enter the house. "You okay?" Buffy asked, seeing the sad look in her friends eyes.

"Yeah, just a lot on my mind," Tara said, looking away and over to Dawn. "What are we doing tonight, Dawnie?"

Dawn smiled at her and shrugged. "We could watch a movie?" she asked, smiling at her closest friend.

Tara nodded. "Sounds good. Why don't you go pick the movie?" Tara said, watching as Dawn nodded and ran upstairs.

"What's going on, Tara?" Buffy asked, frowning at her. "You've been getting that far away look in your eyes everyday since New Years," Buffy reasoned, hoping her friend would fill her in.

"What would you do if you loved someone but couldn't tell them?" Tara asked, closing her eyes for a second before looking at Buffy.

"I'm tell them anyways," Buffy responded, frowning. "I'm guessing this is about Willow."

Tara frowned before forcing a fake laugh. "I shouldn't be surprised you'd know. It's probably all over my face every time I look at her."

Buffy smiled sadly at Tara. "A little, but I doubt she'd notice. Willow is less than observant when someone shows interest in her. She can see many things except someone's emotions," Buffy said, surprising Tara.

"She's smarter than that Buffy," Tara defended, but realized that Buffy was right. Willow was a genius, but the one thing she didn't understand was human emotion.

"I know how smart she is, Tara. I went to high school with her and was her roommate last year." Buffy frowned as she tried to think about what to tell Tara. "What I was saying, is that you should just tell her. Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll feel the same way about you."

"And if she doesn't then I just ruined a great friendship. Buffy, she's in a relationship with Cordelia's little sister," Tara reminded her.

"I'm aware of that. I just don't think Will feels anything for her though. I mean, I know she likes her, but I don't think Willow loves her. Nor will she ever," Buffy said, causing Tara to stare at her in confusion.

"What makes you think that?"

Buffy started to answer but was cut off by the sound of Dawn running back down the stairs. "I'll tell you later. Right now, I've got a date to go on," Buffy said, hugging her friend. "Take my advice though, Tara. She might surprise you." With that, Buffy grabbed her purse and jacket and walked out of the house.

Tara turned to face Dawn as the door closed behind Buffy. "What movie are we watching, Dawnie?" Tara asked, walking over to the other brunette.

* * *

**A/N: I forgot to say in the summary, but this story will not have vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, or the hellmouth. It's just a regular college life, but with struggles in love. Please enjoy.**


	3. Chapter Two: Old Fears and Friends

**Chapter Two: Old Fears and Friends**

Looking out the plane window, Tara frowned as she watched Sunnydale disappear from her sights.

"You okay?" Willow asked, seeing the frown on her friend's face.

"Yeah. Just going to miss everyone," Tara said, looking into Willow's green eyes. She started to lose herself in Willow's very soul, until Kennedy sat back down.

"Flight attendants are so annoying," Kennedy complained as she took Willow's hand in hers and ruined Tara's moment.

Tara sighed as Willow and Kennedy started talking, and pulled her headphones on to listen to the song that seemed to describe her life.

_Best of friends don't mean that much_  
_When that phone call comes to tell you_  
_She's in love_

Tara sighed and glanced at Willow and Kennedy

_She's in love_  
_She's got that fire in her eyes_  
_She's in love_  
_How her smile lights up the sky_  
_It's like she's walking on air,_  
_She's been set free_

Tara closed her eyes and turned her head towards the window as a tear fell from her eye, her heart breaking at the thought.

_Still I can't believe_  
_She's in love_  
_Strolling down a one way street_  
_She's in love_  
_You'd swear her heart has wings_  
_She's in love_  
_Why can't it be me_

Why can't she love me? Tara thought, looking back over at the two women beside her before looking away again.

_Told everyone I'm doing fine_  
_Learn to get on with my life_  
_I just want what's best for her_  
_So I lied_

Tara frowned, knowing that was true. She had lied to everyone because she didn't want them to know that she was in love with Willow or that it was hurting her to see Willow with someone else.

Closing her eyes, Tara let the words of the song drift over her until she drifted off into a sweet dream.

Tara smiled as she looked into the green eyes of the woman she loved. They softly swayed to the music as it played in the background. Tara sighed contently as she laid her head on Willow's shoulder, losing herself in her love's embrace. They were so lost in each other that neither noticed when their feet drifted from the floor, or when the music finally stopped, just holding one another and softly swaying to the music.

"I love you," Tara whispered, smiling as she lifted her head from Willow's shoulder to lose herself in those green eyes. She jerked when she noticed the eyes were no longer green, but a harsh brown, filled with anger.

"You belong to me. You know that," a familiar voice responded.

The words caused Tara to snap out of her dream, looking around at the darkened airplane. Reaching up, she flipped on the light above her, causing Willow to groan and mumble in her sleep. Tara glanced at Willow and Kennedy for a few moments before looking around. She relaxed when she saw that the owner of the voice wasn't there and tried to relax, but the face from her dream haunted her when she closed her eyes. Finally, Tara just gave up on sleep and sat there, staring out at the darkened sky.

* * *

The sound of a voice coming over the intercom to announce that they would be landing in London shortly, pulled Willow, Tara, and Kennedy from sleep. Tara had barely drifted off before the voice had woke her, and she was exhausted. Looking out the window, Tara stared at the lightened sky and frowned as she tried to clear her sleep deprived mind.

"You didn't sleep?" Kennedy asked, noticing the bags under Tara's eyes and secretly enjoying the thought. She knew Tara didn't like her and the feeling was mutual.

"No, I didn't," Tara whispered, grateful when the plane landed and a voice came over the intercom, stopping any further questioning.

She knew that Willow would want to know why Tara hadn't slept. She also knew that Willow wouldn't leave it alone until Tara told her, so the more time Tara had without Willow questioning her, the better.

As the airplane came to a stop, they deboarded the plane and walked to the bag pickup to grab their bags. Tara stood uncomfortably as she waited for Willow and Kennedy to get the last of their bags off the line. Before they finished grabbing their bags, Tara jumped as arms wrapped around her from behind. She pulled away from the embrace and turned in shock to face a very familiar brunette.

"Faith?" Tara said in disbelief before smiling and hugging her old friend. "How have you been? It's been years," Tara exclaimed, holding tightly to her friend.

"Hey, T." Faith responded, hugging her back before standing next to her and looking at Willow and Kennedy, who were watching her. "How's it going, Red?" Faith called to Willow, earning a look of irritation before Willow turned away.

Faith smiled at Willow's reaction and looked at Tara. "She's still mad?" Faith asked in disbelief.

"Well, she has a right to be angry," Tara reminded Faith, causing Faith to smile.

"Good point."

"So what are you doing here, Faith?" Tara asked, smiling at her old friend.

"I'm actually here to pick you guys up," Faith said, looking over at Tara. "Giles was busy and asked me to come."

Tara nodded and looked over at Willow and Kennedy. "Are you two ready? Faith is our ride to see the council," Tara explained, seeing Willow's confusion.

Willow gave a hesitant nod and took Kennedy's hand, while Faith reached down and grabbed some of Tara's bags. "I'm this way," Faith told them, leading the way with Tara right behind her and Willow and Kennedy following after.

* * *

**A/N: The song in this chapter is "She's In Love" by Mark Wills. I do not own the song. I just thought it would fit. I hope you liked the chapter. I also hope that it sparked your curiosity. Thanks for reading. Please Review/Follow/Favorite. **


	4. Chapter Three: Good Friends and Missing

**Chapter Three: Good Friends and Missing Pieces**

The car ride seemed to take a long time, and Tara felt the awkwardness in the air. She knew that Willow didn't like Faith, even understood Willow's reasons, but Faith had always been a good friend to her. Plus there was the whole 'Faith knowing Tara liked Willow, and Willow being with Kennedy' thing.

Tara frowned as she looked in the rearview mirror and saw Kennedy's arm slung over Willow's shoulder and her hands in Willow's hair. They were whispering quietly to each other, and Tara couldn't stand it anymore.

"So, why are you here? In England?" Tara asked, looking over at Faith as they pulled onto a dirt road from the highway.

"Well, after everything in Sunnydale, I felt bad, ya know? I found out how to get ahold of Giles and I called him up, asked him if I could stay with him. Since then, I've been here, learning from Giles and living in one of the guest rooms," Faith said, shrugging at her own words.

Tara smiled slightly at Faith's words. "You felt bad? The Faith Lehane felt bad?" Tara said, a small smirk forming on her lips as Faith looked over at her in confusion.

"Yes, T. I did. I am capable of such emotions," she said, playfully slapping Tara's arm as she smiled over at her. "So what about you, T? What have you been doing since my departure from the great Sunnydale?"

Tara just shrugged and looked back out the front window. "Not much. School, family, friends. Everything's the same for me."

Faith frowned and looked at Tara, knowing that she wasn't telling her something, and was confirmed when Willow looked into the front seat and was watching Tara as well. She knew that Tara had problems with her family life, but she never knew everything about it. The only reason she knew about Tara's problems were because they were similar to her own problems. It was why the two were such good friends, even after everything Faith did.

When the car pulled into the driveway, everything was silent before Faith decided to break it. "So Red, who's your girl?"

Willow frowned and looked at Faith with a death glare on her face. "Kennedy," Willow said, gesturing to her girlfriend.

"You like 'em butch, huh? That actually explains a lot," Faith said, smiling as Willow's eyes hardened.

"Be nice, Faith," Tara said, catching her attention.

Faith smiled at Tara and shrugged. "Just saying."

"Play nice," Tara said, though a small smile was touching her lips.

Feeling like she did her job, Faith smiled and looked out the window as they came to a stop in front of the council house. "Here we are."

Climbing from the front seat, Tara looked up at the huge building in front of her. She remembered looking at the pictures that were sent to her in an email from Rupert Giles, but she didn't expect the building to be so big. Hearing the door behind her open and close, Tara turned her head to see Kennedy rounding the car to stand by Willow.

"This is it?" Kennedy asked, less than awed by the castle before them.

"Yep," Willow said, smiling. "This is so amazing. I can't wait to see inside."

As Willow and Tara stood admiring the building, a door opened and a familiar man with graying hair and soft blue eyes. A smile broke out on both girls' faces as Giles walked across the ground towards her. "Giles!" they called out rushing to him.

"Willow, Tara." Giles smiled brightly as he pulled the two girls into a tight hug. "It's been so long since I last saw you two." Pulling back, he looked at each girl closely. "You cut your hair," Giles said, smiling at Willow as he touched her shorter hair.

Willow smiled and nodded. "Last summer," she said, smiling as she hugged him once again.

"And Tara, you dyed your hair, he said, smiling at the young girl.

Tara nodded. "Over winter break," she responded, hugging him again.

Giles smiled and looked up. "Faith, do you mind helping them with their bags?" he asked, looking at the brunette and smiling at her.

Faith nodded. "Sure, G. No problem," Faith said, opening the trunk of the car and pulling out the bags. When Willow's and Kennedy's bags were out of the trunk, Kennedy walked over and picked them up, refusing to let Faith help. Grabbing Tara's bags, Faith nodded off to a side. "You're rooms are all this way," she said, walking off with the other's to follow.

Tara stayed with Faith, keeping stride with her while Willow and Kennedy wandered behind them. Tara smiled at Faith as they walked into the building. "Want me to carry something?" she offered.

Faith shook her head and smiled. "Nah. You pack light. Feel bad for Red's girl though. That's a lot of bags. Which one of them brought so much stuff?"

Tara shrugged. "Kennedy, but Willow brought a lot as well. You know how she likes to be prepared for anything."

Faith smiled at that. "So her girlfriend's not only butch, but is extremely spoiled?"

Tara looked over at Faith and shook her head. "Be nice," she said, smiling at Faith's words.

"She doesn't like you. Why should I be nice when she's doing what she can to rub her relationship with Red in your face?"

Tara shrugged. "I'm use to it. Besides the feelings mutual." Tara and Faith walked in silence for a moment and Faith shook her head.

"I never thought I'd meet the day when you didn't find something good about someone," Faith said, glancing at Tara out of the corner of her eyes.

"I never said she didn't have any good in her. She's good to Willow, and she makes Willow happy. I just don't like her," Tara said, smiling at her friend.

"Well well, T has some fire in her after all," Faith said, nudging Tara gently as they stopped in front of a group of doors.

When Willow and Kennedy stopped a few feet from them, Faith set Tara's bags down in a pile before pointing. "T, this is your room," she said, knocking on the door. "Red, your room is the one closest to you right next to T's room, and Butch, that's yours," she said, pointing across the hall to a door directly between Willow's and Tara's.

Kennedy and Willow both stiffened at Faith's nickname for Kennedy, but she wasn't paying attention. Instead, she bent down and retrieved Tara's bags, carrying them into the room. Tara followed Faith into the room and shook her head.

"What part of 'be nice' do you not understand?" Tara asked, looking at Faith in disbelief.

"The 'nice' part. Sorry, T. I just don't like her, and ruffling Red's feathers is always fun."

Tara smiled and walked over to Faith. "It's good to see you again," she whispered, hugging the one person who understood her better than anyone else. "I missed you."

Hugging her back, Faith felt something fall into place that had been missing for so long. A piece of her heart that had been missing since her departure from Sunnydale suddenly fell into place as she hugged Tara.


	5. Chapter Four: Late Night Talk

**Chapter Four: Late Night Talk**

Later that night, Tara wasn't surprised when she heard the door next to her open and the sound of Willow and Kennedy talking quietly to one another. She listened as the talking subsided, but the sounds of moans and whimpers were heard through the wall, and Tara groaned, pulling the pillow over her head. When the sounds didn't subside, she walked out of her room, irritated and uncomfortable with the knowledge of what was going on in Willow's room.

Walking down the corridor of the building, Tara found her way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Couldn't sleep?" a voice said from behind Tara, causing her to jump.

Turning to face the unknown voice, Tara saw Giles sitting down at the counter, watching her. "No. You?" she asked, grabbing a cold slice of pizza and sitting down next to him.

"No. I haven't slept well since Jenny's death," Giles explained, reminding Tara of Giles's deceased wife.

"I'm sorry," she said, resting her hand on his in a gesture of comfort.

"It's quite alright," Giles told her, looking at the girl that was like a daughter to him. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Thin walls," Tara responded, and watched in amusement as Giles took his glasses off of his face and started to clean them. "You do realize that we're pretty much grown, don't you, Giles?" Tara asked, smiling at the older man.

"Of course I do, but I do not need the images in my head, thank you very much," Giles complained.

"Sorry," Tara whispered, giving him a slight hug.

"Hey, it's a party," came a familiar voice, causing Giles and Tara to turn towards Faith.

"Faith, what are you doing awake?" Giles asked, looking at the brunette.

"Couldn't sleep," Faith responded, shrugging.

"Was it those dreams again?" Giles asked, watching Faith with concern in his eyes.

"Yes," she said simply, sitting down next to Tara. "Since I know why Giles couldn't sleep, why don't you tell me what your doing up?" Faith asked, putting an arm around Tara's waist.

"Thin walls," she said again, glancing at Faith. "What were the dreams about?"

Faith thought about what Tara said and shook her head. "I'll get you a different room tomorrow. Sorry about that, T," Faith said, looking at Tara with darkened eyes.

"It's fine. What about the dreams, Faith?" Tara asked, knowing that Faith would only talk about something if asked.

"My parents," Faith said, seeing understanding dawn Tara's face as she understood her friend's reaction.

Tara just nodded, and wrapped her arms around Faith in comfort, hugging her friend. Faith accepted the comfort, surprising both Tara and Giles. They sat like that for a few moments in silence before Faith pulled away and walked to the fridge.

"I'm hungry," she said, digging through the fridge.

Tara shook her head and looked down at her hands, thinking about her own family. Her father was a cruel man, and her brother was just like him. The only person who ever treated Tara like a person was her mother, but she had passed away last year, breaking Tara's heart and spirit.

Faith's family was the opposite. Faith's father was a good man who had loved his daughter until his death when Faith was ten. Faith's mother took that opportunity to torment her daughter and allowed her boyfriends to do whatever they wanted to the young girl. When Faith had finally managed to escape them, she was detached from others and rarely accepted comfort from anyone for fear of looking weak.

Now both were fighting to overcome the influences their parent's had been on their lives, making things hard for both of them. It was why they were close. Both understood the feelings of losing a parent, and being raised by someone so cruel. Both knew what fear really was.

Tara let her thoughts come back to the here and now, afraid to allow those dark thoughts to take her over. "Is it alright if I explore the house?" Tara asked, looking at Giles.

"Of course," he said, looking at Faith. "Would you like either Faith and I to join you?" he asked.

Tara smiled politely. "I don't mind, but I think I can explore on my own, Giles," she reminded him, causing him to smile.

"Quite right," he said, smiling back at her. "I think I'll go read," he told them, walking out of the kitchen and back to his room.

"Want company, T?" Faith asked, looking at Tara.

"Sure," Tara said, smiling at Faith.

With that, the two walked from the room and headed through the giant house, talking about things they wouldn't talk to anyone else about. After a while, Faith turned to face Tara.

"Is she still stalking you?" she asked, not saying the name for fear of frightening Tara.

Tara just nodded, looking away. "It's why I came here. I wanted to get away from her."

"Does Red know about her?" Faith asked, watching Tara curiously.

"No." Tara looked out the window closest to her. "If I told her, she's become overprotective gal and wouldn't let me out of her sight. Worse, she might make Kennedy keep an eye on me," Tara said, frowning at the thought.

Faith smiled. "Yeah. Red is a little protective of you," Faith said, smirking at her. "That's why she lets me near you," she pointed out, causing Tara to smile.

"Willow knows as much as she hates you that you wouldn't hurt me," Tara reminded her, watching Faith smile. "Yeah. How could I hurt you, T? You're family," she said, giving her a one armed hug.

Tara smiled and looked out the window again and across the yard. "I'm afraid, Faith. I'm so afraid."

"Why?" Faith asked, watching her closest friend.

"What if she finds me?"

"If she does then she'll have to get through me first, and if she somehow manages that, I'm sure Red and Butch will protect you as well," Faith told her, touching her shoulder. "She won't hurt you as long as I'm here, T," Faith reminded her.

Tara nodded and hugged her friend. "I know."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was pretty much a filler. I'm sorry if it was boring, but it was both to help you understand Tara's and Faith's friendship and Faith's personality. I also wanted to give you a little more information about Tara's dream on the plane. So please review/follow/favorite.**


	6. Chapter Five: Friends and Enemies

**Chapter Five: Friends and Enemies**

The next morning, Willow and Kennedy walked down stairs to see Faith and Tara sitting at the kitchen counter drinking coffee and talking.

"You're up?" Willow asked, sitting down next to Tara and frowning at her best friend.

"Yeah. I had trouble sleeping. I've been up for a while," Tara explained, not looking at either girl next to her as she spoke.

"Thin walls, Red," Faith said, a smirk crossing her features.

As Willow blushed, Tara turned her head and glared at Faith. "What?" Faith asked, feigning innocence.

"You know what," Tara said, hitting her arm.

"Tara, I am so sorry," Willow apologized, looking at her friend. "How much did you hear?" she asked, embarrassment and guilt clear in her voice.

"Not much. I walked out as soon as I figured out what was going on. I did not want to know about your sex life," Tara explained, looking over at Willow with a playful smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Willow nodded and touched Tara's arm. "Are you okay? You look upset."

"Yeah. Just tired."

"I'm really sorry, Tara. I didn't know that the walls were thin," Willow repeated, feeling extremely guilty for causing her friend's exhaustion.

Tara shrugged. "It's okay. I had some time to explore the house, and catch up with Faith."

"Faith?" Willow asked, turning to look at the brunette that was leaning against the counter.

"Couldn't sleep so I kept T company," Faith said by way of explanation.

"Oh."

Kennedy watched them all for a few moments before walking up behind Willow. "What are we doing today?" she asked, kissing Willow's cheek and wrapping her arms around her waist.

Willow just shrugged, looking at Faith and Tara. "Any plans?"

"Sleeping," Tara responded, smiling at Willow jokingly.

"Want company with that, T?" Faith asked, smirking at Tara rolling her eyes and Willow's sudden defensive posture.

"I think I can figure out how to sleep on my own. Thanks though," Tara responded, pushing her friend's shoulder slightly before walking out of the room to go get some much needed sleep.

When Willow turned to Faith, Kennedy slipped out of the kitchen and went after Tara. She caught up to Tara after a few steps and grabbed her arm. "We need to talk," she said, feeling angry.

"What is it, Kennedy?" Tara asked, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep.

"I want to talk about last night," she said glaring at Tara. "Were you spying on us? Putting your ear to the wall so you can hear what it sounds like when Willow comes? We both know it's the only way you'll ever hear it."

Tara stared at Kennedy in silence for a few moments as her words registered in her mind. "No. I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't listen in on anyone," Tara responded, angry at the accusation.

"Sure you wouldn't. If you did though, then I hope it hurt to hear her moan my name. I hope it cut at you knowing that I was the one causing those sounds to escape her," Kennedy snapped, smirking at Tara as she turned and walked back into the kitchen, leaving Tara confused and shaking from anger.

* * *

Back in the kitchen, Willow glared at Faith. "Did you really have to be so crude? All she's doing is taking a nap."

"It was a joke, Red. T knew it and laughed it off. She knows I wasn't serious," Faith replied, defending her earlier comment.

"A joke? You offered to go to bed with her, Faith. That is not a joke, that is a crude comment," Willow snapped, angry at Faith's bold words.

"Yeah? You think it's crude for me to say that, and yet you and Butch hang all over each other in front of Tara. Do you not even care that your hurting her every time you kiss or touch that bitch?"

"_Kennedy_ is my girlfriend. Tara knows that. I don't see how its a problem if I kiss her," Willow responded.

"Not a problem? Tara has been in love with you for years and you're to busy seeing other people to even notice her. You're destroying her with ever new girl you choose over her," Faith snapped, angry at Willow for not seeing what was right in front of her.

"You expect me to believe that. What about the people that she dated? We both dated other people. Damn it, Faith. You and I dated before you left Sunnydale. So don't even go self-righteous on me," Willow reminded her.

"Yeah. We dated, and I screwed up a lot of things by ending things with you the way I did. I shouldn't have hurt you, but I saw the way T looked at you and couldn't hurt her. I ended our relationship as soon as I saw her feelings for you," Faith responded, feeling guilty as she thought about their past relationship.

"This isn't about that," Willow said, not budging. She knew their conversation had changed from the main topic and wanted to go back to that. "This is about the comment you made to Tara before she left."

"And it was a harmless joke. That's all it was. I'm not interested in her that way, Red, if that's whats bothering you."

Before Willow could answer Kennedy walked back into the kitchen. "What'd I miss?" she asked, feeling the tension in the room.

"Nothing. We were just talking," Willow said, turning away from Faith and looking at Kennedy. "Want to go out tonight?"

"Totally. I need to get out of this place. I feel so crowded here."

Faith lifted an eyebrow at Kennedy's words, but didn't say anything as she walked out to check on Tara.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for helping me with this chapter by giving me ideas and helping to make sure it worked.**

**A/N2: For anyone who doesn't like how I made Kennedy act, then I'm sorry but I need her to be rude for this story. I have no problem with Kennedy, except that she dated Willow before Willow even had a real chance to grieve. So don't start bashing the fact that I had Kennedy act rude. This is one story where I'm making Kennedy the enemy. She is, after all, Cordy's little sister in this story. **


	7. Chapter Six: Fears and Doubts

**Chapter Six: Fears and Doubts**

Walking down the hall towards Tara's room, Faith felt her irritation at Kennedy and Willow. She was angry at Willow for continually hurting Tara even if Willow was unaware of it, and she was angry with Kennedy for enjoying Tara's pain. As she walked further down the hall, she was surprised to see Tara leaning her forehead against her bedroom door, her body shaking noticeably.

"T?" Faith said, walking towards her. When Tara didn't respond or react to Faith's voice, Faith frowned and moved closer. "Tara?" she tried again, this time reaching out to touch Tara's arm.

Tara flinched at the unexpected contact, jerking away from Faith and turning to face her friend, her eyes unclear as she stared blindly at Faith. "Don't touch me!" she yelled, backing frantically away from Faith.

"Tara? Tara, it's me. Faith," Faith told her, holding her hands up in a sign of peace, hoping Tara would calm down enough to look at her.

After a few minutes, Tara's eyes cleared and she looked into Faith's concerned brown eyes. "Faith?" she whispered, confused.

"Yeah. It's me. You okay, T?" When Tara didn't answer, Faith took a cautious step towards her, gently resting a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid," Tara whispered, not looking at Faith. "I'm so afraid, Faith."

"What happened?" Faith asked, knowing Tara's fears wouldn't come from nowhere.

"I'm not sure. All I remember is arguing with Kennedy about Willow then nothing. I guess the argument caused me to have a panic attack and I shut down. I don't even remember walking the rest of the way to my room. Kennedy stopped me a little outside the kitchen," Tara remembered, trying to understand.

"What were you arguing about? Maybe that will help you figure it out?" Faith reasoned, watching her friend with a worried look in her eyes.

"Willow...I think...I mean I know her name came up, but I'm not sure. I just remember being angry. Something about sounds Willow makes," Tara said, confused by her own jumbled memories.

"What kind of sounds, T?"

"I don't know. I don't even remember what we were arguing about. I just remember being angry and arguing about Willow for some reason. That's it, Faith. That's all."

Faith frowned but nodded, trying to remember some of the things Tara had told her about her psychotic ex-girlfriend. "Didn't you use to argue with your ex about Willow? She didn't like that you had feelings for her or something?" Faith asked.

Tara nodded. "Yeah. She always hated it that I loved Willow and not her. She would always tell me I belonged to her," Tara whispered, shivering as she remembered the words and the look that always came with them.

"That's probably what caused it then," Faith said, pulling Tara into a hug. "Let's go out tonight. Have some fun."

Tara gave Faith a weak smile as she pulled out of the hug and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not in the mood to party," Tara told her.

"All the more reason to go out. Kennedy and Willow are going out 'cause Kennedy feels cooped up in this house. Let's go out. We can drink a little, dance a little, and have some fun.

Tara thought about it for a few minutes and smiled at Faith. "Alright. Let's do it. What time?"

"We can leave around 8. Sound good?"

Tara nodded and stepped back from Faith. "Yeah. I'll be ready. Thanks, Faith," Tara said, opening her door and walking in to get some sleep.

* * *

That night, Tara and Faith headed out to the bar, intent on washing away all bad thoughts and memories from their minds and wanting to focus on the present. Tara sat at the bar, drinking while watching Faith on the dance floor, dancing with any guy or girl that showed interest. After a couple of drinks, Tara joined her friend, intent on losing herself to both the alcoholic buzz and the sound of the music.

As the night came to an end, the two went back to the council house both happily lost in their alcoholic haze. As they walked into the house, Tara stumbled her way down the hall, not caring about the noise she was making. Faith had moved Tara to the room across the hall from her, feeling guilty about Tara having to hear Willow and Kennedy the night before.

As they moved towards their room, they both kept stumbling into one another, nearly knocking the other one on the ground. When they finally made it to their rooms, Faith started to walk into her room but was surprised when Tara pushed her back against the door and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

As tongues started to duel and hands started to roam, Faith was surprised when the door to her room opened and the two of them fell onto the floor in a tangle of limbs. Tara quickly kicked the door closed, breaking the kiss just long enough to do so.

While their minds seem to get lost in the new sensations, a sudden thought came to Faith's mind that made her pull back from the kiss.

"T, we shouldn't do this," Faith panted, groaning when Tara's lips moved to her neck as she spoke.

"Why not?" Tara asked, nipping at the skin beneath her neck before moving her lips back towards Faith's.

Unable to come up with an answer that made sense in her scrambled mind, Faith kissed Tara back, losing herself to the sensations overcoming her body.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for reading this chapter over to make sure it works.**


	8. Chapter Seven: Hangovers and Secrets

**Chapter Seven: Hangovers and Secrets**

The next morning, Tara woke up with a headache and feeling extremely confused. She couldn't remember the night before, at least not completely. Bits and pieces of the night would come back, but Tara couldn't remember how she got back. Nor did she know what she was doing in Faith's room...alone.

Standing up, Tara looked herself over, noticing that she was in the same clothes she wore last night. She groaned as her head pounded, feeling as though someone was playing with a jackhammer in her skull. She stood there for a few moments, trying to control her aching head when the door opened to show Faith standing in the doorway.

"Glad your awake, T," Faith said cautiously, watching her friend for a few moments in silence. "How much do you remember?"

Tara groaned and sat on the edge of the bed. "Drinks one through five," she muttered.

Faith smiled slightly. "So you don't remember attacking me?"

Tara lifted her head to look at her friend in confusion. "What?" she asked, frowning.

Faith started laughing, unable to control herself. "When we got back, I started to walk in here by myself and you pushed me against my door and started kissing me. Gotta say, T. You know how to kiss a girl senseless," she said, smirking at her.

"Oh god," Tara muttered, hiding her face in her hands. "Please tell me your joking?"

"Sorry, can't. I tried to get you to stop by saying we shouldn't, but you didn't listen, just asked me why not," Faith explained letting the realization hit Tara, and smirked when her friends red face turned white.

"We slept together?" Tara asked in surprise and disbelief.

"No. I managed to regain my senses after a few minutes and left the room. Came in to check on you a little bit later after a very cold shower and you were passed out."

Tara relaxed a little at Faith's words. "Thank you," she said, feeling grateful to Faith for not taking advantage of her drunken state.

"That's what friends are for," Faith reminded her, before walking over to her dresser and grabbing a bottle of Asprin off of the top. "Want some?" she asked, holding up the bottle and waiting for Tara to nod.

Grabbing out two pills from the bottle, Faith set the bottle back on her dresser and walked them over to Tara, holding them out to her.

"What else did I do?" Tara asked, feeling slightly embarrassed by her actions with Faith the night before.

"That was pretty much it, T. You were well behaved at the bar. Complained to a few people about how love sucks, but that was it. Then we came home and you tried to get into my leather pants," Faith said, smiling as Tara ground at Faith's words.

"Why'd you let me drink so much?" Tara complained, closing her blue eyes as her head pounded from both the dehydration and Faith's confession.

"You think I would be able to stop you? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Faith asked, staring at her in disbelief.

Tara just smiled at Faith's words shaking her head. "Good point. I don't listen to you," she agreed, relaxing as the ache in her head slowly faded. "Where's Willow and Mr Giles?" Tara asked, not bothering mentioning Kennedy.

"Red's with Butch downstairs eating breakfast. G-man left to go run some errands. He said he'll be back this afternoon."

Tara nodded, closing her blue eyes and taking a deep breath. "What's for breakfast?" she asked, looking up at Faith.

"Whatever you make yourself. I don't cook, T, remember?"

Tara smiled. "Oh yeah. I forgot you don't understand the use of a kitchen," Tara said, standing up and walking towards the door, going to make some breakfast.

"Where ya headed?" Faith asked, following Tara downstairs.

"To make me some breakfast. I heard a rumor that it's suppose to help with hangovers," Tara smirked, glancing at Faith as they walked into the kitchen.

"What about a hangover?" Willow asked, looking at Tara and Faith in confusion.

"Breakfast is suppose to help with a hangover," Tara repeated, not looking at Kennedy as she started grabbing stuff from the cabinet.

"Wait...Faith got a hangover?" Willow asked, surprised that Faith would even get drunk enough to get hung-over.

"No, I do," Tara explained, keeping her back to the redhead and brunette to as she started cooking an omelet.

"You were drinking?" Willow said, her voice filled with shock. "You never drink, Tara. Only when its a social occasion.

Tara just shrugged, not answer.

"T wasn't just drinking last night. She slammed three shots in a row then started drinking whatever the bartender suggested. She only remembers her first few drinks after that she said its blank," Faith explained, not realizing what she just said until Tara turned to glare at her. "What, T? At least I didn't tell them about you kissing me."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for reading and helping constantly. **


	9. Chapter Eight: Anger and Jealousy

**Chapter Eight: Anger and Jealousy**

**Previously in I Want You Mine...**

_"You were drinking?" Willow said, her voice filled with shock. "You never drink, Tara. Only when its a social occasion._

_Tara just shrugged, not answer._

_"T wasn't just drinking last night. She slammed three shots in a row then started drinking whatever the bartender suggested. She only remembers her first few drinks after that she said its blank," Faith explained, not realizing what she just said until Tara turned to glare at her. "What, T? At least I didn't tell them about you kissing me."_

* * *

"Faith!" Tara hissed, glaring at her friend in disbelief.

"Oops. My bad, T."

"You did what?" Willow demanded, standing up and staring at her best friend, her green eyes filled with anger.

Tara turned from Faith to Willow, her temper flaring at the redhead's anger. "It's none of your business, Willow. I'm a big girl. I can kiss whomever the hell I please," she snapped, turning back to her food.

Willow glared at Tara's back her own temper rising at the blonde's words. "Damn it, Tara. I don't care if this is any of my business or not. You kissed Faith while you were drunk, you're lucky you didn't go home with some cheap whore," Willow yelled.

"Like I would let that happen," said Faith receiving a glare from the others in the room.

"If I did, it would be my business. Not yours. You don't own me, Willow. The only thing you have the right to do when it concerns my life is talk to me. You're not my mother, and you're sure as hell not my girlfriend, you already have one of those," Tara informed her, her voice going low and dangerous.

Before Kennedy could make a comment about Tara's statement, Faith put her hand over the brunette's mouth and dragged her out of the kitchen, letting Willow and Tara continue their argument without an audience.

"You're right, but I am your best friend, Tara. Unless Faith has that category taken now too?" Willow snapped, her green eyes flashing with her temper. "After all, you've talked to her about what was bothering you more in the two days we've been here then you have to me in the last two months."

"That's not true," Tara defended, turning back to face Willow. Her blue eyes darkened as she stared at her friend in anger.

"Really? Tara, every time I asked you what was wrong, you'd just shrug your shoulders and tell me nothing. Every time I tried to help you, you'd push me away. Now I find out that you went out drinking last night, which is not like you at all, and you started kissing Faith? Forgive me if I'm a little concerned, well more than a little concerned. If you prefer, I can stop being concerned. I can stop being your friend all together if that would make you happy? Because right now, it seems like that's what you want," Willow informed her, her whole body shaking from anger.

"Willow?" Tara said, her temper leaving her quickly as dread set in. "I don't ever want that, ever. There are just some things that right now I'm trying to work through, and I don't know how to talk to you about them."

"You haven't even tried," Willow shouted.

"Will, please," Tara whispered, her voice extremely soft.

The pain in Tara's voice broke through Willow's anger, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Tara, but I think I need some time alone," she said, walking out of the room and away from her best friend.

"Willow?" Tara said, taking a step after her before stopping as tears filled her soft blue eyes and slowly slid down her cheeks.

Leaning her hands on the counter, her chin resting on her chest, Tara closed her eyes and tried to regain control of her emotions before walking to her room, wanting some time to herself to process and heal. As soon as she entered her room, she locked the door and crawled in to her bed, crying herself to sleep as she thought about losing her best friend because of a mistake.

* * *

Pacing back and forth outside the building, Willow felt her emotions going haywire as anger, confusion, and jealousy all fought for control. She thought back on the argument with Tara and couldn't figure out why she had gotten so angry with the blond. Tara was right that it wasn't any of her business who she kissed, but Willow couldn't let it go. It made her mad thinking about Tara kissing Faith or anyone else, but she couldn't stop herself from arguing with Tara.

Willow frowned as she realized how badly she had reacted to Faith's words, and now she couldn't figure out why. So she decided to do what she does best- analyze the feelings.

Sitting down under a tree, Willow thought about her relationship with Kennedy and her friendship with Tara. She also allowed herself to think about her former relationship with Faith, curious about what caused her to act the way she did after Faith admitted to Tara kissing her.

_Maybe I'm just angry that Tara kissed my ex-girlfriend, but that's not right because I stopped caring who Faith kissed after Faith and I broke up. Plus Faith was always the type to kiss someone one day then someone else the next. That never bothered me._ Willow thought, looking down at her hands. _Was I ever jealous when Tara kissed one of her ex-girlfriends? I guess I always felt a little jealous._

Willow frowned as she realized that it wasn't who Tara kissed, but the thought of Tara kissing anyone. _Why would the thought of Tara kissing someone make me so upset? Is it because I like having her all to myself? No. I want Tara to be happy. I want Tara to be happy with me. _

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for rewriting parts so that it sounded better and was easier to read. **


	10. Chapter Nine: Feelings

**Chapter Nine: Feelings**

**Previously in I Want You Mine...**

_Why would the thought of Tara kissing someone make me so upset? Is it because I like having her all to myself? No. I want Tara to be happy. I want Tara to be happy with me._

* * *

Willow paced back and forth in her room, waiting for the sound of Kennedy walking down the hall. She needed to know if she loved Kennedy or if there was at least the potential of love. The sound of footsteps coming down the hall caught Willow's attention and she rushed to her door and pulled it open, grateful to see Kennedy standing outside her door with her hand raised.

Once her eyes set on Kennedy, she reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into the room and pushing her back against the door to close it, capturing Kennedy's lips in a desperate kiss. She needed to feel something: passion, want, love, anything that would prove to her that her relationship with Kennedy wasn't just a way to make Tara jealous.

Frowning as she realized she didn't feel anything for the woman she had spent the last six months with, Willow pulled away and walked over to her bed.

"What is it?" Kennedy asked, confused on why Willow stopped the heated kiss.

"Nothing, just a lot on my mind," Willow said, sitting down on her bed and putting her head in her hands.

"Want to talk about it?" Kennedy asked, walking over to sit next to her.

"No. I just need some time to think," Willow told her, not lifting her head. "Is it already if we stayed in different rooms tonight?"

Kennedy frowned but nodded. "Alright, yeah. Whatever," she said, walking out of the room in irritation.

Willow ignored the anger in her girlfriend's voice and lifted her head when the door to her room slammed shut. As Willow stared at the wall of her room, she considered her options. One: she could try to force herself to feel something with Kennedy again. Two: she could call Buffy and talk to her about not feeling anything for Kennedy anymore, or three: she could kiss Tara and see what she feels from that.

Frowning, Willow thought through the options a couple of times. She didn't want to call Buffy because she knew Buffy would tell her to break things off with Kennedy, and she wasn't sure she wanted too. If she kissed Tara, then she'd have to break up with Kennedy cause she didn't want to be a cheater.

Deciding she'd try to force her emotions for Kennedy, Willow stood up and walked over to Kennedy's room. Knocking on the door, Willow waited for Kennedy to open the door and gave her a soft smile. "Can I sleep here tonight?" she asked, waiting for Kennedy's nod before walking into the room.

* * *

Sitting outside under the trees the next morning, Tara was staring up at the sky, letting her mind wander. She was still bothered by her fight with Willow and wanted to fix things with her friend, but knew Willow needed time. Closing her eyes, she let the summer breeze calm her.

"Hey," a familiar voice said, causing Tara to open her eyes and squint against the sun.

"Hi," Tara responded, seeing Willow standing before her.

"Can we talk?" Willow asked, shifting her feet back and forth nervously.

"Of course," Tara said, moving over so Willow could sit down next to her beneath the tree.

Once situated, Willow turned to look at Tara. "I'm sorry," she whispered, looking into her best friend's blue eyes through her lashes.

"You don't have to apologize, Willow. You were right. I have been keeping secrets from you, but I didn't and still don't know how to tell you. I'm not sure I'm ready to tell you to be honest," Tara admitted, looking down at her hands.

"I know. I understand that, Tara," Willow told her, reaching out to touch her best friend's arm in comfort. "I get that there are just some things you can't tell me."

Tara looked up at Willow again, giving her a shy smile. "Thanks," she replied, looking into the green eyes that she loved so much.

Willow nodded, unable to respond because she was drowning in the pools of blue before her. "Tara," Willow whispered, leaning in towards her.

"Yeah?" Tara said softly, afraid to break the silence and ruin the moment.

"What is this?" Willow muttered, leaning even closer.

"I don't know," Tara whispered back, waiting until Willow leaned forward and closed the distance between them, brushing their lips together in a soft kiss.

The kiss was soft for a few moments, both afraid to deepen it until Tara decided to give into her emotions and moved a hand into Willow's auburn locks and pulled the redhead against her as she deepened the kiss. Willow moaned softly into Tara's mouth and moved her own hands into the golden locks of silk. They stayed like that for a few moments, before gently pulling back to look at each other in silence. Willow was surprised by how dark the blue eyes before her had become in the time that they had kissed one another, and it was that thought that pulled her back to reality as she realized exactly what she had done. Jumping up, Willow stumbled away from Tara before sprinting back to her room, leaving Tara staring after her as hurt and confusion warred inside her.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for reading this over and giving advice. Sorry the chapter is short but you did get a Willow/Tara kiss. **


	11. Chapter Ten: Songs and Shadows

**Chapter Ten: Songs and Shadows**

Tara frowned as Willow rushed off, not knowing how to accept what had just happened. Willow had kissed her, but then ran off before she could even understand what that kiss meant. Still it gave Tara some hope.

Standing up, Tara walked inside, wanting to confront Willow. She needed to know what that kiss meant. As she made her way into the house and down the hall, she stopped outside Willow's room when she heard Willow and Kennedy inside, talking quietly to each other.

Frowning, Tara decided to find Faith. Faith would be able to help her with this. Walking to Faith's bedroom door, Tara knocked on it and waited a moment for Faith to open the door.

"What's up, T?" Faith asked, staring at her friend in surprise.

"Willow just kissed me," Tara said, her voice filled with confusion as she made her way into Faith's room to sit on her bed.

"Um...correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a good thing. I thought you wanted Red?"

"I do, but that's the thing. She kissed me then rushed off without even a word of explanation. I went to go talk to her, but she's in her room with Kennedy right now," Tara explained, running a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Damn, T. That can't be good. Did she looked freaked?"

"I don't know. I was too busy trying to process what was going on. I was still lost in the haze of the kiss when she ran off," Tara said, frowning at the memory.

"What are you going to do?" Faith asked, staring at her friend.

"I don't know," Tara whispered, looking down.

"What do you want to do?"

"Faith, you know what I want. You know how I feel. What if it was just a whim or fluke? What if she regrets kissing me?"

"Well, how about this? We go out tonight, have some fun and get your mind off Red. Then tomorrow you can sort things out with her," Faith offered.

Tara thought about it for a few moments then looked at Faith. "I'm in."

* * *

That night Faith and Tara sat in the bar drinking again. This time, though, Faith watched Tara closely, ensuring her friend didn't overdo it. After a couple of shots, Faith grabbed Tara and dragged her onto the dance floor, not wanting to leave her friend at the bar to order any more drinks.

Halfway though the night, Tara stumbled her way to the stage for karaoke. She was completely drunk, but she wanted to get out her feelings for Willow in some manner, even though the redhead wasn't here to hear them.

As the music started playing for "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne, Tara turned to look at the crowd.

_"Hey hey, you you_  
_I don't like your girlfriend_  
_No way, no way_  
_I think you need a new one_  
_Hey hey you you _  
_I can be your girlfriend_

_Hey hey, you you _  
_I know that you like me_  
_No way no way_  
_You know its not a secret_  
_Hey hey, you you_  
_I want to be your girlfriend_

_You're so fine I want you mine you're so delicious_  
_I think about you all the time you're so addictive_  
_Don't you know what I can do to make you feel alright"_

As the song continued Faith shook her head as she listened to Tara sing. She knew the girl was angry with Willow, but didn't expect her to admit it to a bar full of people.

_"She's like so whatever_  
_You can do so much better_  
_I think we should get together now_  
_And that's what everyone's talking about"_

Tara continued singing for a bit before she started dancing around as she continued singing.

_""So come over here and tell me what I wanna hear_  
_Better yet make your girlfriend disappear_  
_I don't wanna hear you say her name ever again"_

After the song, Faith helped Tara stagger down from the stage and over to their table.

"Feel better T?" asked Faith.

"A little," slurred Tara, leaning heavily onto Faith as they made their way off the stage.

They continued to dance and have a good time trying to take Tara's mind off Willow and the kiss.

Late into the night, Faith and Tara made there way out of the club, heading back to the Council's home. Neither was aware of the person walking slowly behind them, watching their every move. Gritting her teeth every time Tara would stumble into Faith, causing Faith's arms to go around the brunette.

Neither knew that a hand slowly ran over the handle of a gun, deciding whether to use it know or later, wanting to show them that Tara belonged her and no one else. As they slowly made their way into the house, the figure stopped, watching as they disappeared and spoke quietly to Tara from the shadows.

"I'll see you soon, my love. You know better than to try to escape me. You belong to me, and me alone. I need to remind you of that again."

The figure slowly turned her back on the huge home and slipped into the shadows once more, waiting for the perfect chance to show Tara what happens when she runs off and starts falling all over trashy girls.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for helping with this chapter. I always appreciate you giving me ideas and rewriting parts for me to make the chapter even better. **

**Quick Disclaimer: I do not own Avril Lavigne's song "Girlfriend". I just borrowed part of the lyrics. **


	12. Chapter Eleven: Love and War

**Chapter Eleven: Love and War**

Knocking on the door to Kennedy's room, Willow felt her heart race as she tried to figure out the best way to tell her girlfriend her biggest secret. She knew it would hurt Kennedy, knew she'd be angry, but she couldn't keep hiding it from her. When the door opened, Willow gave Kennedy a nervous smile.

"Hey," Willow said, pausing for a second as she looked at Kennedy. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah." Moving aside, Kennedy let Willow into her room, curious about what had the redhead so uncomfortable. "What's going on?"

"I need to tell you something. You probably won't like it. I mean, of course you won't like it, but it'd be wrong if I kept it from you. I shouldn't keep secrets from you, and this would be a really big secret. Even if something is wrong and can hurt someone, you shouldn't keep it from them, because it'd be worse for them to find out on their own instead of hearing it for themselves, right? I mean, I'd want to know if someone did something stupid and cheated on me, but maybe I'm wrong? Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and pretend like nothing happened," Willow babbled, looking at Kennedy.

As Kennedy caught up with Willow's words, she frowned at the hidden meaning of the babble. "You cheated on me? With who?" Kennedy asked, her anger coming out as she glared at her girlfriend.

"I wouldn't necessarily call it cheated," Willow defended, dropping her head so her green eyes were no longer looking into the angry brown eyes before her.

"What are you talking about then? Did you or did you not cheat?"

"I don't know. I mean, it was just a kiss. I only kissed her once, and when I realize what I did, I pulled away and ran off," Willow admitted, not lifting her eyes from the spot on the ground that she was staring at.

"Tara? You kissed Tara, didn't you?"

At the whispered question, Willow finally made eye contact with Kennedy. "Yes. I don't know what came over me, but it just happened. I didn't mean to kiss her," Willow said, seeing the sad look in Kennedy's eyes.

"You cheated on me with her? How could you kiss Little Miss-I'm-so-shy-and-innocent?"

"Don't talk about her like that. No matter what, she's still my best friend," Willow snapped, feeling her own anger rise in defense of Tara.

"Best friend? Do you always kiss your best friend? I should have known something was going on when you got so angry about her kissing Faith. I thought it was just because Faith was your ex, but no. It's because you have feelings for Tara, isn't it?" Kennedy asked, yelling the question at Willow.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Tara. I made a mistake."

"So what? I just forgive you and we forget this happened? Willow, you kissed you're best friend while you're dating me. Let me guess? She batted her eyelashes and pretended to she was upset about something?" Kennedy said, glaring at her girlfriend.

"No. Tara didn't do anything to cause it. We were talking and _I_ kissed _her_," Willow told her, frowning at Kennedy's words.

"So what do we do now?"

"I think we should break up. We aren't right for each other, Kennedy. If we were, this wouldn't have happened," Willow admitted, frowning at Kennedy.

After staring at each other in silence, Kennedy turned and quickly walked out of the room, causing Willow to stare after her in surprise and rush out behind her, wondering what Kennedy was up to.

* * *

Throwing open Tara's bedroom door, Kennedy grabbed the taller girl by the shoulders and slammed her back against the wall. "You little bitch," Kennedy shouted, pulling her arm back in preparation to hit Tara, her anger blinding her from her own actions.

When a hand grabbed her arm, she turned her head to see Faith standing there, with a fire in her eyes. "Touch her and I'll break you in half," Faith warned, her own voice low and deadly.

"You wanted her so much that you had to steal her away?" Kennedy asked, no longer shouting, but not letting go of Tara.

"Yo, Butch, let her go. Now," Faith snapped, her hold tightening on Kennedy's arm.

At Faith's words, Kennedy released Tara and stepped back, anger radiating off of her. "Everyone thinks, you're so sweet and innocent, but I know better. You're nothing. You play games and do whatever it takes to get what you want."

Staring at her in confusion, Tara frowned at Kennedy's words. "What are you talking about?" she asked, giving Kennedy a strange look.

"Willow? You two kissed," Kennedy reminded her.

"Okay, and you think I tricked her or seduced her?" Tara said, trying to understand Kennedy's thought process.

"I know you did. Willow's too innocent to kiss someone without them doing something," Kennedy snapped, glaring at Tara.

"I didn't do anything," Tara defended, looking at her in anger.

"She's right," Willow whispered, catching everyone's attention. "Tara didn't do anything, Kennedy. I told you she didn't have anything to do with what happened. _I_ kissed _her_."

"Whatever," Kennedy muttered, walking out of the room in anger.

After watching Kennedy walk out, Willow turned to Faith. "Is it okay if I talk to Tara alone?" Willow asked, looking at her ex-girlfriend for a few moments.

"Yeah, sure. You okay, T?" Faith whispered, waiting on a nod in response before slipping out quickly.

"You don't have to tell me. I already know," Tara said, turning her back on her friend in anger.

"Then what am I going to say?" Willow asked, looking at Tara's back in confusion.

"It was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened. You just want to stay friends," Tara replied, resting her hands on the wall as she tried to control the emotions running through her.

"I was actually going to say that I feel something for you. I don't know what, but I feel it. I felt it when we kissed, and I want to figure out what it is. I also want to go on a date with you," Willow admitted, giving Tara a shy smile as Tara turned to face her in shock.

"What?" Tara whispered, feeling confused and shocked at the same time.

"I want to spend time alone with you in a date-like environment, and maybe share some kisses and gay love," Willow responded, stepping closer to Tara. "So, will you let me take you on a date?"

"Yes. I'd love that."


End file.
